I was a little late to the game on Howling Giant, or else their 2019 album The Space Between Worlds would've easily been at the top of my year-end list. It's also why I'm stoked to stream the band's all-new, completely instrumental EP Alteration today.
Sure, it kicks ass and is the perfect soundtrack to getting stoned off your ass, but it's also a testament to how good this band is. They completely removed vocals for an entire release and still managed to be great.
"We started streaming on Twitch as a way to scratch the 'live show' itch while we anxiously awaited the return of shows and touring. Our streams cover everything from cooking with Tom and Zach to Dungeons & Dragons sessions, as well as solo instrumental streams and our full band show every Saturday," said drummer Zach Wheeler.
"During the full band shows we ask the viewers to call out song names and we write instrumental jams on the spot to match the song title. After going back and reviewing some of these jams, we decided it would be fun to actually record some of them in a more professional setting. Aside from working on this instrumental 4/20 release, we’ve been deep in the writing process for our next full length record, which will also draw influence from some of our Twitch jams.
"Named by the people, for the people, and improvised live each week, this is our tribute to our fans, friends, and family that have kept us afloat as we’ve all endured lockdown."
Alteration is out April 20 and is available for pre-order here. The band will also play a livestream on April 20 at 4:20 CST, which you can check out here.
